Family Help for Childcare in the Summer Holidays

Over half of parents rely on family and friends for childcare help in the summer holidays.

With the summer holidays comes the all-too-familiar battle of keeping the kids busy and preventing the outcry of “Mum, I’m bored!” If this wasn’t a job in itself, for those of us trying to juggle work with sorting out childcare, it’s notoriously difficult to find time to cram everything in.

In a perfect world we’d take time off to play with them – but when that’s not possible, where do the kids go?

Keep it in the family

Research from thinkmoney has found that more than 40% of parents look to relatives for help with childcare during the summer holidays. Not only is it financially beneficial for us to send the kids round Grandma’s, it can also be a lot of fun for them. Many of our fondest childhood memories start in such a way – just think back.

I remember the long summer days playing with my cousins at my Nanna’s house – starting a band, making dens and playing practical jokes on each other.

But if poor Grandma can’t handle the pace of being run off her feet by the little ones – where else do they go?

Quality time with the little gems

It’s common for parents to try and save their holidays up and take them during the summer. This means time hanging out with the kids and more importantly, they get to spend some quality time with you. Over a third of parents (36%) take time off during the summer holidays – which means not having to arrange childcare and lots of fun for you and your darlings.

Costly childcare

If you’ve felt the summer holiday dread, then it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’re not alone.

There’s a lot to consider, namely the logistics of where they’ll go and what they’ll do and that’s before we even mention the cost of childcare being financially crippling. Summer childcare can mean the family budget gets blown out of the water, so it’s hardly surprising that less than a quarter of parents (23%) send their kids to paid-for childcare or summer activities.

It’s simply too expensive.

Back to school!

When you’re little, the summer holidays take forever to come and then whizz by in a flash.

Whether it’s riding a bike without stabilisers for the first time or starting a band with their cousins, one thing is for sure – the summer holidays are when our kids make treasured memories. So before we get back to the daily grind of the school run, let’s try and spend as much quality time with them as we can – and if it’s getting too much, just think – they’ll be back at school or nursery soon!

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About thinkmoney

thinkmoney provides an alternative to a High Street bank account that makes it easier to budget. The account ring-fences money needed for regular commitments, like bills and savings. It also comes with a ‘Money Manager’ service to help customers to manage their accounts. thinkmoney Personal Accounts don’t require a credit check and are available to UK residents over the age of 18 who can prove their identity.

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Comment (1)

Nicole ArnoldAugust 14, 2013 at 10:17 am

I find parenting in general one large juggling act with being a busy working mum of two! Holidays are always something we look forward to and I agree that they can be an expensive affair. I’m very lucky as being a teacher I have the summer holidays off work but on a part time salary and with two hungry minds to keep stimulated the money soon drains out oft account quickly! My parents are invaluable during the holidays offering respite – for the children more than me , a change of scenery and fun days out that are somehow so different to those offered by me. During term time they do school runs and look after the youngest member of the family as finically it wouldn’t be worth me working if I had to pay 3 full days childcare. Grandparents are in one simple word priceless.